April has been called the cruelest month—an observation that probably rings all too true for many graduating engineers. Not only must you deal with the anxiety of conducting a job search beneath the looming clouds of finals preparation, but there is the bittersweet realization that your college days are soon to be a memory. But at least you can take solace in the fact that soon you'll never have to take another test again as long as you live, right?

Wrong, especially if you take the advice of an increasing number of engineering experts from industry, academia and government who encourage engineers in all disciplines to work toward becoming certified as a professional engineer (PE).

Crucial Credential

The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) likens professional engineering licensure to the bar exam for lawyers or the medical boards for doctors. It provides proof that the engineer has "fulfilled the education and experience requirements to offer engineering services directly to the public," according to an NSPE fact sheet.

"The PE is a license that protects the health, safety and welfare of the public," concurs Ralph Orlando, a civil engineer at the engineering firm of Schoor DePalma, Manalapan, N.J., who holds PE registrations in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Florida. "It sets the standards, codes and regulations that we have to practice under."

Ralph Orlando, civil engineer

PE certification is specifically required for any engineer who does work that has the potential to impact the public (civil, mechanical, electrical and chemical come readily to mind). However, all engineering disciplines have some sort of protocol for certification. Indeed, Joe Phaneuf, director of communications for the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), asserts that, "If there is an engineering niche that ultimately has no effect on the public I'm not aware of it."

There are, however, special academic, governmental and industry exemptions from certification, and engineers do not necessarily need to be certified as long as the work they do is supervised and approved by a licensed PE. "There are a lot of practicing engineers who are not licensed and have no intention to become licensed," notes Phaneuf, but adds that these engineers don't stand much of a chance of advancing their careers. "Many companies use licensure as a requirement for hiring and as a gauge for promotability." Not to mention the fact that PEs can expect salaries that are 15% to 25% higher than their non-licensed colleagues.

The PE Path

The requirements for certification vary between states and engineering disciplines, but the basic outline is uniform. First, an aspiring PE must graduate from a four-year engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Arthur Schwartz, the general consul for the NSPE, explains that ABET rates engineering programs based on how well they prepare students in the fundamentals of engineering such as mathematics, dynamics, fluids, solids and mechanics.

A PE candidate must then pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, an eight-hour, discipline-specific test designed to determine whether a student has absorbed the basic mathematic and scientific principles of engineering. Prepared by the NCEES, the FE is conducted with cooperation between the states in order to ensure at least a minimum level of national standardization. And like the SATs, the FE exam can only be taken in authorized exam locations on prescribed dates in April and October. (If you haven't signed up for the April exam yet, forget it. Most states require four to six weeks to process exam applications.)

"It was long, and it was dry," groans Schoor DePalma civil engineer Kevin Boerner when asked about the FE exam, and notes that he is glad he took it soon after he graduated, as most of his professors advised. "The information is fresh in your mind, and you're still used to taking tests."

Boerner is now in the midst of his Engineer in Training (EIT) period, a certification requirement that consists of a four-year apprenticeship during which a candidate is expected to apply the theoretical knowledge learned in class to practical, real-world problems. "Right now I am doing municipal engineering under a project manager who is a registered PE," says Boerner. "This isn't someone who I see once a month and is three levels above me in the corporate hierarchy," he explains, for the EIT must work under close supervision of the PE.

Upon completion of his EIT program, Boerner will be eligible to attempt the final step toward achieving a PE certificate, the principles and practices of engineering exam. If successful, he will be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with his colleague at Schoor DePalma, Walter Hopkin.

Hopkin took the principles and practices of engineering exam last April but didn't get the results of the test (he passed) until October. "You have to put it out of your mind or you'll go insane," laughs Hopkin. He recalls that this discipline-specific test is more practical than the theoretical FE exam, and notes that it consists of 12 essay questions (of which you pick four) in the morning, and a short answer and multiple choice section in the afternoon. As with the FE exam, the principals and practices of engineering exam takes eight hours to complete.

Test Prep

All who were interviewed stress the importance of being properly prepared before taking either of the tests. Orlando advises students facing the FE exam to brush up on the engineering basics such as thermodynamics and calculus but not to forget such topics as chemistry and fluid dynamics. He recommends that candidates preparing for the second exam become familiar with the codes and design standards that apply to their field of expertise. He also notes that many companies will assist employees in this process by sending personnel to professional review courses.

One such course is hosted by Rutgers University and is coordinated by the school's head of engineering, Joseph Czapp. Czapp contends PE candidates of any experience level will benefit from a review course, but that they are especially important for people who have been out of school for a long period of time. "You'll have people who have been working for a company for perhaps four or five years and suddenly it dawns on them that they want to go into consulting, or they want to get their PE as an advantage for a job promotion," says Czapp. He feels that it would be nearly impossible for a person in such a position to pass the exam unless they are brought up to date on changes in code regulations as well as recent technological innovations (see "It Never Ends").

"Without a doubt get your EIT and PE as soon as possible," concludes Hopkin, and goes on to describe friends of his who graduated with engineering degrees and opted not to get certified, only to find that they have fewer career choices now. "The PE license will provide you with a lot of alternatives later on in life."

It Never Ends

In order to encourage engineers to stay current in their respective fields, a growing number of states (18 to date) require PEs to follow what are called continuing professional competency guidelines. Such guidelines dictate that engineers must engage in a prescribed amount of professional development hours (PDHs) annually or else lose their certification. For example, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) allows that completing a college engineering course counts for 45 PDHs, while a published paper, article or book counts for 10 PDHs. Engineers can also collect PDHs for teaching, participating in a professional or technical society, presenting a paper at a conference or receiving a patent.

"In some jurisdictions the guidelines are embraced," says Joe Phaneuf, director of communications for the NCEES. "In other places they're not so popular. It depends a lot on the politics of the particular state." Phaneuf supports the guidelines and contends that engineers whose practice affects public safety should be held to continuing standards of excellence. "Who could argue with that?" heasks.